1. Field of the Technology
The present disclosure relates generally to mobile communication devices operative in wireless communication networks, and more particularly to a mobile communication device which operates to prioritize assignment of a packet data session utilized for a plurality of applications of the mobile device, especially when operating in wireless networks that limit the number of simultaneous packet data sessions available to the mobile device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile communication device (e.g. a mobile station or MS) may operate in a wireless communication network which provides for high-speed packet data communications. The mobile device may offer a number of different capabilities or features for a user. Many of these capabilities are defined by the different applications which are installed in the mobile device. The mobile device may have a voice telephony application, a data or message synchronization application (e.g. for e-mail messages or calendar items), a Web browser application, as examples. These applications operate in connection with different communication services provided in the wireless network.
When an application is initially invoked, the mobile device causes the associated communication service to be activated in the wireless network. In particular, a packet data session needs to be established for each application or service. For wireless networks which employ a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), the packet data session may be a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context. Here, an Application Point Name (APN) is utilized to determine how the mobile device communicates via the wireless network to a host site.
However, wireless networks do not allow for an unlimited number of PDP contexts to be simultaneously maintained for a mobile device. It has been discovered that some wireless networks limit the number of simultaneous PDP contexts for a mobile device to a relatively small number. The wireless network may even limit the number of PDP contexts for a mobile device to a single PDP context. At the present time, 3rd Generation (3G) wireless networks appear to most clearly exhibit such characteristics, which may be due to network software options or upgrades not being configured as appropriate.
In such environment, if a “push-type” data or message synchronization application is the primary application of the mobile device, for example, but the PDP context for this application is deactivated through use of one or more other applications (e.g. the user of the mobile device invokes a Web browser application), there may be user confusion or undesirable operation in the mobile device.
What are needed are methods and apparatus to overcome these and related deficiencies of the prior art. The same or similar problems may exist in other networks and devices.